JEDDAH: The Jeddah Municipality closed 30 stores that were found violating the health rules and issued notices to 22 shop owners during an inspection on Sunday.

Ahmed Al-Mahnabi, deputy director of service department, traders are supposed to keep their business establishments clean from inside, and also ensure that the surroundings are also tidy.

He said the shops were closed because waste was thrown next to the establishments or at non-allocated areas. The other reasons for the action were dirty and unhygienic condition, non-existence of a contract with waste recycling companies, dirty and unhygienic surrounding and no proper waste disposal area.

Al-Mahnabi said the municipality will be applying sanctions against negligent shopkeepers to improve the hygiene of the city.

He also thanked the residents and visitors for reporting unhygienic shops and restaurants. Complaints can be lodged with municipality through its hotline, 940, or through social networking sites, he said.